Key Takeaways
- Martand Sun Temple religious event chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday at the 8th Century protected site in south Kashmir’s Anantnag has gas-based power plants landed in a controversy as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) denied that it had issued any permission for holding puja at the core protected area on the premises.
About Martand Sun Temple
- The Martand Sun Temple, also known as Pandou Laidan, is an 8th-century Hindu temple devoted to Surya.
- Surya is also known as Martand in Sanskrit.
- The Martand Sun Temple was constructed in the 8th century CE by Lalitaditya Muktapida, the third ruler of the Karkota Dynasty.
- It was destroyed on the instructions of Muslim monarch Sikandar Shah Miri, and is now in ruins.
- The temple lies five miles from Anantnag in India’s Jammu and Kashmir union territory.
- It was an excellent instance of Kashmiri architecture, which had integrated the Gandharan, Gupta, and Chinese forms of building, according to the ruins and related archaeological findings.
- It has been designated as a site of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.
- Kartanda is the name of the temple on the list of centrally protected sites .
Dynasty Who Built Martand Sun : Temple Karkota Dynasty
- The Karkota dynasty rose to dominance in Kashmir in the early seventh century, and spread over Central Asia and northern India.
- The Karkota dynasty was founded by Durlabh Vardhana. Hsuan Tsang, a Chinese pilgrim, visited Kashmir during the time of Durlabh Vardhna.
- The Hindu Karkota rulers erected magnificent Hindu temples in Parihaspur (capital).
- They were also Buddhists, as evidenced by stupas, chaityas, and viharas discovered in the ruins of their metropolis.
- Jayapida one of the ruler of dynasty launched a three-year military campaign against the eastern monarchs, defeating five Gauda chieftains and the ruler of Kannauj.
Sun Temples of India Other than Martand Sun Temple
Content Source : The Hindu